A new law in Washington D.C. has taken effect that makes it illegal for landlords to enforce breed and weight restrictions on tenants' dogs — a real, immediate change for anyone who rents with a dog. For people with larger breeds or stigmatized types, this removes a major barrier to finding pet-friendly housing and could pressure other cities to re-evaluate similar rules. Expect landlords to rewrite pet policies, renters to test enforcement, and animal-shelter intake patterns to shift if housing becomes more available for bigger dogs.

The 2026 Dog Photography Awards winners are live — a reminder that good timing (and a lot of treats) can turn a backyard into art; see the gallery here.

New analysis finds that it's usually dogs who initiate encounters with bears, not the other way around — a useful corrective if you live near wildlands and want to manage walks and fencing more carefully; read the reporting here.

A small brain-imaging study showed dogs' brains respond in a surprising way when people smile, hinting at the neural roots of why pups are so tuned to our faces — the write-up is worth a look here.